In certain disease states, the heart lacks sufficient pumping capacity to meet the needs of the body. This inadequacy can be alleviated by providing a mechanical pumping device referred to as a blood pump to supplement the pumping action of the heart. One common type of blood pump is a ventricular assist device (“VAD”), which is implanted into the left ventricle. Considerable effort has been devoted to providing a blood pump which can be implanted and which can remain in operation for months or years to keep the patient alive while the heart heals, or which can remain in operation permanently or until a suitable donor heart becomes available if the heart does not heal.
The blood pump is typically connected to the heart, most commonly to the left ventricle (as a VAD) and positioned such that an intake cannula or opening is positioned in the left ventricle while the outflow cannula or opening is positioned at or through the aortic valve to supplement the pumping action of the left ventricle. Other blood pumps can be positioned through the aortic valve or within the aorta itself. Such blood pumps include, for example, the Longhorn Pump (HeartWare, Inc., Miami Lakes, Fla.) which is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 8,852,072, also owned by the applicant and assignee of this application, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth herein.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, reproduced from the '072 patent, a blood pump, or specifically a VAD in this instance, such as the Longhorn Pump 20, may be positioned through the apex of the heart and into the left ventricle. The outflow cannula 40 is then positioned through the aortic valve and into the ascending aorta 108.
However, difficulties arise in positioning the outflow cannula through the aortic valve. In particular, the risk of injuring the aortic valve and/or the related anatomy during placement is high, and as such a highly skilled surgeon is required to ensure safe and proper placement. Additionally, there is a risk that, during placement, the cannula instead passes into and through the mitral valve or other anatomy, causing unnecessary harm and adding complexity to the procedure. Therefore, a need exists for improved instrumentation and methods to minimize the risk associated with the placement of a blood pump in the heart, and particularly through a valve such as the aortic valve.